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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28271610">Just Breathe, Toko</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/amageish/pseuds/amageish'>amageish</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - The Prom (Musical) Fusion, Canonical Child Abuse, F/F, Gay Panic, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:35:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,224</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28271610</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/amageish/pseuds/amageish</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Toko just wanted to bring her girlfriend to Prom. That wasn't asking too much... was it?</p><p>...</p><p>The Prom/Danganronpa Fusion. Takes some elements from the book, the musical, and the movie.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fukawa Touko/Naegi Komaru, Fukawa Touko/Togami Byakuya (one-sided and past)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Just Breathe, Toko</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>CW: Homophobia and Abusive Parents</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>I walk up to my locker, finding a lovingly spraypainted message about how my “Gay Bloodlust Has Cancelled Prom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I’m unsure if I should be impressed that my bullies did the research required to reference my short stories in their bullying of me, or offended that my work is being used for homophobic purposes…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I see Hiyoko’s smirk walk its way into my vision. Of course...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hope you appreciate the message! It’s just a little thank you from all of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn't c-cancel Prom. If anyone did, the P-PTA did!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you didn’t? That’s sure not what the email said…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A brown-haired boy walks by.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, break it up you two.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You <em>two</em>. As if this is my fault too…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hiyoko breaks out into crocodile tears. “So, what? You’re on her side?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He paused for a second, as if deeply considering her question. “No.”  he settles on. “I’m just not in the third grade.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hiyoko gives chase and the two walk off. I close my locker and resume my trek through the halls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Note to self: Don’t be gay in Indiana.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, I guess this is the “too little; too late” kind of note, honestly. As I’m already both (i) gay and (ii) located in Indiana.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whoops! I know. It was a very stupid plan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I’m sure there are places where being out is “in.” In fact, my mothers - long story, but they’re straight - said that was the real problem. Kids are “encouraged” to be gay by the media.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yeah, like I was watching She-Ra one day and went “Oh, I got it! I’ll just be gay. I really feel like being kicked out of my house right now. It sucks </span>
  <em>
    <span>only</span>
  </em>
  <span> being bullied for the way I look and/or smell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right, yeah, I was kicked out. I, uh, made a spur-of-the-moment choice speak my truth on a semi-popular blog I run. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I’d always been told I was a good writer. In fact, when I was in the first grade, I tried writing a love note - to a guy, I know, repressed and all that - and when he published it publicly to “embarrass” me, my first-grade teacher was so proud of it that she began tutoring me in writing personally! So, nowadays, I write some short stories online - mostly horror and romance, though the horror stuff is definitely more… popular. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, when I first met my girlfriend, I knew I had to write something about her - I mean, what kind of author would I be if I didn’t let myself be inspired by my muse?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Problem is… it turns out that my first grade teacher has continued to read my blog… and she wasn’t super into me writing about my gay awakening in public.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So she emailed my Dad, who emailed my Moms. They said that what I was doing is unholy (as ironic as it is coming from two women half-raising a child because they were both sleeping with the same rich philanderer) and then they kicked me out. I was begging people on my blog to take me in and, thankfully, I now live with a man who was sympathetic to my cause… I think he may be gay too, but, honestly, he mostly just rambles about how this circumstance reflects the meaning of hope as “I had the bad luck of being kicked out, but the good luck of finding true love and” - blah blah blah; he’s just another person using me to further their worldview without really seeing me as a person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But, like, he also has provided me a house, so I’m not going to complain too much…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>My Dad also still sends me money. I don’t think he really cares about the <em>way</em> that I’m not his responsibility, as long as I<em> remain</em> not his responsibility… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ugh, I’m just working myself into a frenzy again. Just breathe, Toko… Breathe…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While walking around, trapped in my cycles of angst and fear, I crash straight into the man I wanted to speak to least. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fukawa.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“T-togami.” I stammer out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, Fukawa. When I told you I wasn’t interested, I was asking for you to leave me alone. Not to become a lesbian.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You d-didn’t do that! I was always a lesbian.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Togami raises one eyebrow at me, suspiciously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You spent the better part of two years calling me ‘Master.’ Fukawa. I know you are distraught, but -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But n-nothing, Togami! Yeah, I called you ‘Master,’ but that's-doesn't mean I was straight! It was a bad attempt to be straight. I was a p-pastiche of what a s-straight woman does.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pastiche? Fancy word indeed. Maybe if you always spoke that that and not like a stalker, then you wouldn’t have had to settle for dating women.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut up!” I shout, walking away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Note to Self: People suck in Indiana.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I didn’t expect asking my girlfriend to prom would go, like, well. But I didn’t think they’d be threatening to cancel the whole affair! Like, what, are you so scared of two women… dancing? It’s not scary… I don’t understand why anyone would fear it… Anybody’s guess, I suppose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The good news is that I have about ~2.5 people on my side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>First off, I have my girlfriend, of course. Komaru Naegi. Even thinking her name makes my heart flutter… She’s just… perfect. She’s kind and lovely. She makes me comfortable being vulnerable and just makes me into a better person - she’s even gotten me up to weekly showers, which, trust me, is an improvement for me…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Second off, I have her brother, Makoto Naegi. Well, I sort of have her brother. Her brother is student council president and, while she’s not out to her (or anyone besides me, for that matter), she has been trying to push him into being nice to me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s… kind of working? He’s fine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Look, he’s… better than most people in school.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Naegi family sounds like a struggle, honestly. Their mother has very high standards for both her kids - though I notice only the eldest son got sent to the private school, in spite of Komaru’s genius, but whatever - and she’s put herself out there in… everything. She’s actually the one threatening to cancel the Prom, funnily enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I’m sure it would be very hilarious if I didn’t have to live it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And my third support structure is…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Toko! I just got off the phone with the state's attorney. She thinks this is a civil rights issue, as I knew it would be. This is a big deal.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh shit… S-sorry Taka.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiyotaka Ishimaru is just another Student Council member, but he also cares deeply about the rules. And, luckilly for me, believes gay rights are part of said rules! I sometimes wonder if he believes that for selfish reasons as well - I mean, I’ve seen the way he stares at Mondo after gym practice - but he’s still a good voice to have in my life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We'll get through it! Look, just take a sec, relax, come into the meeting room when you're ready.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I sigh. This will be fine, right? It can work. Just breathe Toko…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I’ll do some seething as well, but keep breathing. Keep pushing through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I’ve got some supportive people in my life and, like, that’s better than not having them, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What's the worst that could happen?</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! I'm unsure if I'll continue this, but in case I don't: Sayaka would be Dee Dee, Ibuki would be Barry (playing up the queer solidarity arc a bit more), Kaede would be Trent, and Himiko would be Angie (as confusing as that is given Danganronpa names).</p></blockquote></div></div>
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